Lighting

This is a discussion on Lighting within the Beginner Freshwater Aquarium forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
Originally Posted by alrcs8191
I had seen some at menards that are 48&quot; t12 40w full spectrum daylight 5000k and i believe it was ...

I had seen some at menards that are 48" t12 40w full spectrum daylight 5000k and i believe it was 2200 lumens. I'll be going to petsmart tomorrow to see what they have.

This tube will work. One suggestion, the T12 is a wider diameter (the "T" number refers to the diameter of tubes) and the (newer) T8 are narrower and more intense lighting for the size, so a better choice (less heat, less energy used, more light). Don't confuse with T5 which is altogether different. But if you can get T8 tubes they will be a better deal.

Your fish stores will have specialist aquarium tubes, some will be comparable to the above but much more expensive. But some of the "Aqua" or "Flora" type tubes are in my considered opinion not worth it. Won't get in to all that, but I do honestly not recommend them.

Full spectrum, daylight, daylight enhanced, etc. are the sort you want to consider, and a K rating between 5000 and 7000 is good; the lower number means more red and less blue, the higher the opposite. A mix is the best, around 6500K, in either the one tube or with two different tubes.